


when i fall in love (it will be forever)

by HannahPelham



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, fluffy shit, not very good but it's something i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:33:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29059812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannahPelham/pseuds/HannahPelham
Summary: Shelagh moves to London after very nearly becoming a Nun, getting a job as a nurse at Kenilworth Row Maternity Home. On her first day, she's introduced to her new boss, Dr Turner, and falls head over heels in love.
Relationships: Bernadette | Shelagh Turner/Patrick Turner
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	when i fall in love (it will be forever)

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, credit for *those words* (you know the ones) goes to Heidi Thomas and the BBC

Shelagh Mannion decided she needed a fresh start after very nearly becoming a nun at home in Aberdeen. She thought she’d been sure until the last few days. At the last minute, she’d bolted, and applied for a job as a midwife in London. 

Arriving in London, to start a new job and look for a flat, was an absolutely terrifying prospect to Shelagh, but she knew it was the right thing. She knew she’d made the correct decision the first time she walked into Kenilworth Row Maternity Home. 

The minute she walked through the door, she was bombarded by three women in the same uniform as her. They all smiled brightly and practically dragged her towards the front desk. 

“You must be Shelagh Mannion” The first one, a platinum blonde said. 

“That’s me” Shelagh replied meekly, looking at all the girls in turn. They all introduced themselves to her. The blonde was Trixie Franklin, who the others said turned the heads of half the husbands that came through their doors. Jenny was next, her brown hair falling in soft waves to her shoulders. She was very pretty, Shelagh thought, and seemed headstrong as she watched her deal with a difficult patient. Barbara, the last of the three, had a smart bobbed haircut, and seemed incredibly clever as she explained everything about the Maternity Home to Shelagh. There were many jokes at her expense from the other nurses about her boyfriend, the local vicar, Revd Tom Hereward. From what they said, though, Shelagh reasoned that he must be a nice man, and she looked forward to meeting him.

Within 20 minutes of meeting Trixie, Jenny, and Barbara, Shelagh had agreed to move into their spare room, made available by the nurse Shelagh was there to replace, Nurse Noakes, getting married and moving in with her husband. 

Everything was going smoothly for Shelagh until she was introduced to her new boss, Dr Patrick Turner. 

Shelagh didn’t think she’d ever seen a man as handsome as Dr Turner in her life. She tried to play it cool, thankful she had the excuse of being new to blame her stuttered words on. 

Patrick didn’t have anything like Shelagh’s excuse, but he was finding himself tongue-tied at the sight of her. He hadn’t expected their new nurse to be quite so pretty, or to have such a beautiful voice, or really to be the most perfect human he thought he’d ever come across. He didn’t believe in God, but he knew if such a deity did exist, this would be their idea of perfection. 

Shelagh learned a great deal about Patrick Turner that evening as Trixie, Barbara, and Jenny helped her move her small amount of belongings into the fourth bedroom of their house. They told her about his wife, Marianne, and how he was rebuilding his life three years after her death. They told her about his son Tim, who was now 12, and his determination for life to go on after Marianne’s death for his sake, if not for his own. 

When she walked into work the next morning, Shelagh found herself overwhelmed with a want to protect and look after him, which was ridiculous in her mind considering he was her boss and nearly twice her age and had a son. But nonetheless she felt protective of him. When they were working together on the ward, Shelagh had to work hard to concentrate. 

Patrick found it very difficult to concentrate too, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her honey blonde hair was pinned up neatly, her glasses framing her face, her uniform dress showing off her delicate and slim figure. Life was going to be so much brighter with Shelagh around, he realised. He also realised he was being ridiculous, he was sure it was just a flight of fancy. 

Within weeks, Shelagh realised she was in love with Patrick. She’d realised one evening when she was sitting with the girls in the flat, and Jenny was telling them about her new boyfriend, Alec. When Jenny was talking about the fact she thought she was falling in love with him, she recognised her own feelings. Everything Jenny said regarding Alec, Shelagh felt about Patrick. She felt happier when she was around him, she felt safe, she felt pretty, she felt content, when she was around Patrick. 

She’d never say anything, of course. Her dear boss would never think the same, he had more important things to think about than her, like the Maternity home, and his son. 

Patrick was in love with Shelagh. He knew that. Everything in his body and mind told him he loved her. But, with him being a nurse working for her, he thought it would look old and lecherous, so he would love her from afar, admiring her from a distance for all eternity. 

Trixie, Barbara, and Jenny couldn’t take it, after a while. They watched and watched as Patrick and Shelagh danced around each other, adoring each other from opposite ends of the room. 

“We can’t interfere though, what if it went wrong and they never end up doing anything about it?” Barbara reasoned over drinks one evening, an evening when Shelagh had offered to stay late at Kenilworth Row to help Dr Turner with evening checkups. 

Their prayers were answered when, on a nice summer’s day, Shelagh found a note waiting for her in her locker. She opened it, and was utterly astounded by what she found.

_ At risk of sounding simultaneously like a teenage boy and an old man, would you like to come for a walk in the park this evening? _

_ Patrick Turner _

_ 07XXX XXXXXX _

Shelagh couldn’t believe it. Was it a date? She bloody hoped it was a date. She nipped home to put on a nice dress, but found herself accosted the minute she got in. 

“We saw Dr Turner putting a note in your locker” Trixie blurted out, the minute Shelagh got through the door. 

“He’s invited me for a walk in the park this evening, as the weather’s nice” Shelagh replied, trying to sound as nonchalant and calm as she could. Inside, her heart was beating at a million miles an hour. 

“Is it a date?” Jenny asked, raising an eyebrow. The girls followed Shelagh to her room, and immediately started rummaging through the dresses in her wardrobe. 

“It doesn’t say either way, besides why would it be?” Shelagh said, realising resistance was futile. 

“Do you want it to be?” Barbara asked, as she found Shelagh’s box of shoes, and found some appropriate for the dress Trixie had chosen for Barbara. The dress was simple, blue and white flowers with a button down front and nipped in at the waist. The shoes, some tan espadrilles, would fit perfectly. Before she could protest, Shelagh was having her makeup and hair done. She let it all happen, giving into it. She’d never had female friends before, and she thought she should make the most of it before she got too old. 

Shelagh had to admit, she’d never felt more beautiful as she left the house to meet Dr Turner at the park. 

Her heart sang when she saw him standing at the park gates, with a picnic basket and a bunch of flowers. As she got closer to him, she could see the bright smile on his face, one she didn’t think she’d ever seen before, except perhaps when he was talking about Tim. 

“Miss Mannion” Patrick said quietly, almost nervously, as he gave her the flowers. Shelagh smiled brightly as she accepted them. 

“We’re not at work, Doctor, it’s Shelagh” She replied.

“Patrick”

“There, we’ve made a start”

They walked around the park for a while, telling stories from their lives, enjoying the warm evening sun. It would be autumn before they knew it, and the evenings would draw in. Eventually they found a nice quiet spot for their picnic, and Patrick spread a blanket out on the ground. Shelagh sat down and watched as Patrick unpacked the food, and she realised he had been paying attention, because everything he had was something she’d mentioned she liked. 

They sat, eating, basking in the sunshine, enjoying each other’s company, for what seemed like hours, but also like no time at all. It all felt so natural. It felt like they’d done it a thousand times before.

When Patrick reached over to take hold of her hand, she could tell he was nervous. She squeezed his hand gently, to tell him it was ok, and she felt him relax. She shuffled a little closer to him, and before she could say a word, his arm was around her shoulder. She leant against him, closing her eyes gently, and she realised she’d never been so happy. 

Shelagh found herself accosted mere inches inside her front door for the second time that day, bombarded with questions. 

“How was it?”

“Where did you go?”

“Did you kiss him?”

“Wonderful, the park for a picnic, and no” She replied, trying to get all the questions answered quickly, so she could retreat to the safety of her room to work out what the hell just happened and why her heart hadn’t stopped beating so fast, and why everything suddenly seemed duller now Dr Turner wasn’t around. 

“What do you mean you didn’t kiss him?” Trixie asked as the girls followed Shelagh into the kitchen. Shelagh put down the kettle and sat down at the table, realising she’d have to tell them about her former life. 

“It’s a long story, starting many years ago. Make a cup of tea and I’ll tell you” Shelagh replied. Trixie nodded and made a pot of tea whilst Shelagh changed out of her dress into an old t-shirt and some leggings. 

As had become tradition with interesting and/or difficult conversations in the house, all four girls squeezed onto the sofa, and Shelagh began to tell her tale. 

“Before I came to London, I was about to take my religious orders back home and become a Nun. It was what I’d always wanted, I’d never doubted my decision, not until a few days before I was due to take my orders. That’s when I applied for the job at Kenilworth Row, a fresh start away from the order in Aberdeen, and the life that could have been. I didn’t kiss Dr Turner tonight not because I didn’t want to, and it’s terrifying to admit that I did want to, but because I always thought I was going to be a Nun...I’ve never kissed anybody before, let alone somebody I’m becoming incredibly fond of”

Shelagh looked around for reactions from the other girls. She was expecting to see shock and horror and surprise, but instead she found sympathy and adoration. 

“Gosh Shelagh,” Trixie said, “you really have had quite the life, haven’t you?”

“You needn’t be nervous” Jenny added, “you’re so brave for leaving it all behind to start afresh somewhere, if you’ve got the guts to do that then believe me, having your first kiss will be a walk in the park”

When Shelagh received a text from Patrick a few days later, inviting her out for dinner, she could hardly contain her excitement. 

Trixie, Barbara, and Jenny thought they might get cavities from all the sweetness they were forced to witness, as Shelagh and Patrick smiled nervously at each other every time they crossed paths. 

As she’d expected, the girls helped Shelagh get ready for her date. They curled her hair and painted her nails. They picked out her dress, this time bottle green and velvet, and shoes to match. Dr Turner’s jaw dropped when he met her at her front door. 

“Shelagh you look…” he started, trailing off when he failed to find an appropriate word. He didn’t think there were words to describe how beautiful Shelagh looked. 

“You scrub up pretty well yourself, Patrick” Shelagh replied, looking back briefly to see the girls giving her waves and smiles and thumbs up out of the front window. 

This time, it felt natural when Patrick’s hand took hers as they walked towards the restaurant. It wasn’t anywhere too fancy, but it was perfect for them. They laughed and talked and ate and drank and any nerves Shelagh had had were long gone. 

They walked home through the park, hand in hand, once again enjoying the warm evening sunshine. They sat on a bench to watch the sunset, arms around each other. Patrick realised he had his chance, and he hoped he wasn’t pushing his luck. 

Shelagh looked up at him, and before she knew it, she was melting into his embrace as he kissed her. To Shelagh, it was the most perfect thing in the world. He pulled away, and rested his forehead against hers. Shelagh let out a breathy laugh, and rested her head on his shoulder. They sat there watching the sun go down, knowing that the rest of their lives had just begun. 

Patrick walked her home, and kissed her goodbye at the front door. Shelagh was glad the girls weren’t watching out of the front window again, otherwise she’d have been terribly embarrassed. With quiet goodbyes and see you at works said, Shelagh slipped inside, hoping to get to her room without being noticed. Her plan failed miserably when she reached her room, and found the girls sat on her bed, waiting for her return. Jenny raised an eyebrow, and Shelagh smiled. They knew, and handed her a hot chocolate, as she put on her pyjamas and squished into the bed with them to watch a movie. 

Everything important that happened for Shelagh and Patrick seemed to happen in the park. A few weeks later, they were sitting on the very same bench, enjoying the sunset, when Patrick told Shelagh he loved her. Much to his delight and surprise, Shelagh told him she loved him too. 

A year later, when they were sitting enjoying a picnic on a summer afternoon, Patrick surprised Shelagh with the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. 

“Marry me, Shelagh?” He asked.

Shelagh couldn’t speak. She nodded repeatedly, with the biggest smile on her face. Patrick slipped the ring onto her finger, and kissed her gently. 

“There, we’ve made a start” 

  
  



End file.
